Scene & Heard

Rita Taylor-Rodriguez holding Caiden Relaford, son of Jaznice Relaford, a former resident of Joshua House

Published: April 20, 2014

Child Abuse Awareness Luncheon

The annual Child Abuse Awareness Luncheon paid tribute to two founders of Joshua House, a home for abused and abandoned children.

Dottie Berger MacKinnon and Olin Mott, both of whom died in 2013, had awards presented in their memory. So did Bob Thomas, who died several years ago. Award recipients were Merrilyn Crossan, Congregation Beth Am, and Skip Glass.

More than 400 supporters gathered April 11 at the Hilton Tampa Downtown to raise money for the home and to hear Paolo Annino, a Florida State College of Law professor, speak about the needs of medically fragile children, which he called a “hidden population.”

Diana Zubrowski was the luncheon chair. Tracy Falkowitz is chair of the Friends of Joshua House Foundation.

Karamu XXVI

Funky, colorful and groovy — that was the goal for Karamu XXVI. The mother-daughter co-chair team for the April 12 event, Toni Everett and Henderson Everett Lee, used the theme “Jungle Boogie” and had neon animals on the walls throughout Lowry Park Zoo’s Safari Lodge, where 400 guests dined and danced to New Groove City and Impulse World Beat.

Lee, who wore a vibrant orange gown that matched the table decorations, said dancing and working with the committee and zoo staff were the best part of Karamu.

The evening was dedicated to the late Sally Lowry Baldwin, who founded the first Karamu with Mason Mallory Lykes. Karamu was attended by her husband, Walter Baldwin, sons and adult grandchildren.

Wheels of Success R.A.C.E 2014

Wheels of Success honored those who provided cars and repairs to people in need at the annual R.A.C.E (Recognition and Appreciation of Our Champions Event) dinner April 11 at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.

About 300 guests bid on auction items, including packages for entertainment, travel and beauty products. They dined on Florentine grilled tenderloin tips over Yukon gold potato gratin with herb-poached shrimp and grilled asparagus.

Susan Jacobs is the founder of the organization, which allows families to take children to school and child care, go to jobs and “prevent their lives from skidding out of control.”

Rotary Club of Tampa 100th Anniversary

Rotary Club of Tampa members and guests celebrated 100 years of service to the community and to international projects on April 12 at the University Club of Tampa. The 100th anniversary celebration, organized by president Wayne Critcher and centennial chairman Bill Gillen, drew 180 guests. The club has provided thousands of dollars in scholarships and funded life-saving cardiac surgeries for children in developing nations. The group contributes each year to the Rotary Foundation, which helps fund work worldwide, and to local charities, including Metropolitan Ministries and the Children’s Home.

“How many 100th anniversaries do you have … it’s amazing, and I hope we are around for another 100 years,” Gillen said.